Throng

In the forests of New Hampshire, bear expert Ben Kilham has dedicated his life to understanding black bears. This documentary follows Ben as he attempts to challenge the conventional wisdom that bears are solitary creatures. He hopes to show through his relationship with a female bear that these fearsome beasts are sociable animals who share a society dominated by rules.

For the last 12 years, self-taught bear expert Ben Kilham has studied black bears up close and personal in the woods near his New Hampshire home. He has filmed previously unseen bear behaviour and has developed an uncanny understanding of these remarkable creatures. “The striking thing about bears is their social behaviour,” he says. “I believe it is a mirror of the behaviour that allowed humans to succeed.”

Ben has consistently defied scientific wisdom by feeding and befriending bears. His association with these animals began when wildlife officers allowed him to become the first person to hand-rear a set of abandoned cubs. Ben has since raised over 50 cubs, but he has special affection for the first bear he cared for – now a fully-grown 200-pound mother named Squirty. Although Squirty recognises Ben, he knows he must always be on guard against her unpredictable behaviour.

“A bear can be relaxed and suddenly aggressive,” he says. “It’s not something you can be lackadaisical about.” What seems to keep Ben safe is a special understanding of bear psychology. “I know what these bears are thinking,” he says. “I think very much more like a bear than a human.” This understanding may stem from Ben’s own unique make-up. For years he has struggled with dyslexia and possibly autism. “There’s no question I’m dyslexic but I’d say there’s a dash of autism,” he admits. Ben says he observes details and patterns that others may miss, but for years these abilities went unnoticed and his dream of studying animals was denied. It was only when he took an IQ test at the age of 40 that he realised he was blessed with a high natural intelligence.

Since then, Ben has made a conscious effort to follow his own instincts – a path that has brought
him into conflict with other bear experts. His theories of bear behaviour challenge the standard view of bears as solitary animals, and he uses his relationship with Squirty as an example. He believes that he and Squirty have a “social contract”, whereby she allows him to study her in return for food – a contract that is mirrored in his relationship with his wife, Deborah. “Squirty and I are both Ben’s girls,” Deborah remarks. “We’re both equally important in his life.”

Ben has built on this insight to suggest that social contracts exist in bear relationships just as they do in human relationships. He believes bear society is dominated by complex but observable rules, all expressed through a language of grunts, bites, teeth-chomping and aggressive behaviour. Bear expert Dr Lynn Rogers sees merit in some of Ben’s work, but maintains that 40 years of scientific studies do not support his theories. “His observations are good,” Dr Rogers says. “[His] interpretations require some thought.”

Nevertheless, Ben is determined to prove his claims about bear intelligence, and has devised a pair of experiments in the woods. One of these is designed to make the bears work to seize a bag of grain. The second is the so-called “mirror test”, intended to detect signs of self-awareness.

In the meantime, Ben is given another opportunity to demonstrate his expertise by helping local authorities get rid of bears on a campsite. His strategy is to walk towards the foraging animals and repel them using only eye contact. Ben succeeds in driving off a hungry bear and convinces one wildlife officer of the benefits of his technique. But can he produce the evidence he needs to support his wider theories about bears?

Tuesday Feb. 19 at 8:00pm on five